XIGAN  MAIOLIGA 


IN  THE  COLLECTION  OF 

THE  HISPANIC  SOCIETY  OF  AMERICA 

BY 

EDWIN  ATLEE  BARBER,  PH.D. 


Director  of  the  Pennsylvania  Museum  and  School  of  Industrial  Art 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 


THE  HISPANIC  SOCIETY  OF  AMERICA 
156th  STREET,  WEST  OF  BROADWAY 
NEW  YORK,  1915 


anxa 

92-B 

15023 


/3J33Z 


FRANKLIN  INSTITUTE  LIBRARY 

PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 

Class  Book.  Accession  --  7...7.3..Q.  6 

Given 


PUBLICATIONS  OF 

THE  HISPANIC  SOCIETY  OF  AMERICA 


No.  92 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/mexicanmaiolicaiOOhisp 


Fountain 

Made  at  Puebla,  Mexico 
Seventeenth  Century 
(See  No.  g,  page  29)  ^ 


MEXICAN  MAIOLIGA 


IN  THE  COLLECTION  OF 

THE  HISPANIC  SOCIETY  OE  AMERICA 


BY 

EDWIN  ATLEE  BARBER,  PH.D. 

Director  of  the  Pennsylvania  Museum  and  School  of  Industrial  Art 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 


THE  HISPANIC  SOCIETY  OF  AMERICA 
156th  STREET,  WEST  OF  BROADWAY 
NEW  YORK,  1915 


Copyright,  1915,  by 

The  Hispanic  Socif:ty  of 


America 


MEXICAN  MAIOLICA 


/ 70  O(o 


MEXICAN  MAIOLIGA 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTES 

MAIOLICA  is  a soft  pottery,  of  whitish  or  buff 
tint,  covered  with  an  enamel,  or  glaze,  whose 
dense  white  color  and  great  hardness  are  imparted  by 
a greater  or  lesser  proportion  of  tin  in  the  composi- 
tion. Being  entirely  opaque,  the  tin  or  stanniferous 
enamel  will  obscure  any  decoration  which  may  be 
applied  beneath  it.  The  colors  must  be  painted  either 
over  the  enamel,  after  it  has  been  fixed  by  the  fire, 
or  in  it,  being  applied  to  the  dry  enamel  before  firing. 
After  being  fused  in  the  kiln,  the  inglaze  designs 
appear  to  be  incorporated  with  the  enamel.  This 
latter  method  was  the  one  employed  l)y  the  Mexican 
potters. 

Maiolica  was  first  introduced  into  Mexico  Iw 
Spanish  potters  from  Talavera  and  Seville,  Spain, 
toward  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century,  and  native 
Mexican  potters  continued  the  manufacture  from 
that  time  down  to  the  present  day.  So  far  as  we 
have  any  knowledge,  tin-glazed  pottery  was  produced 

[5] 


at  only  one  place  in  Mexico,  the  city  of  Puebla. 
Here,  (luring  the  best  period  of  the  art,  from  about 
1650  to  1750,  were  numerous  fabric]ues  where  mai- 
olica  was  produced. 

The  earliest  ^Mexican  maiolica  was  decorated  in 
dark  blue,  hut  at  a later  period,  toward  the  middle 
of  the  seventeenth  century,  other  colors  — yellow, 
green,  brown,  and  black  — were  introduced.  The 
blue  color  of  Mexican  maiolica  differs  from  the 
Spanish  in  being  thick  and  viscid,  standing  out  in 
perceptible  relief,  instead  of  being  thin  and  flat  with- 
out any  unevenness  of  surface.  The  decorations  of 
the  ^Mexican  ware  were  painted  in  a vigorous  and 
hold  style,  (juite  different  from  the  careful  and  often 
delicate  treatment  of  the  Spanish  maiolists.  The 
ware  was  usually  coarse  and  heavy,  and  frequently 
clumsy  in  modeling,  yet  it  possessed  a quality  of 
manly  vigor  not  found  in  the  more  effeminate  prod- 
ucts of  Spain  or  Italy.  The  Mexican  ware  was  better 
suited  for  architectural  embellishment  than  for  house- 
hold purposes,  and  was  most  effective  when  seen  at 
a distance,  as  tile  work  and  benitiers  on  the  walls  of 
churches,  or  as  garden  fountains,  large  vases  for 
growing  plants,  enormous  basins  built  in  lavatories 
for  the  ablutions  of  the  clergy,  and  figure  finials  for 
the  roofs  of  religious  edifices.  Yet  a great  amount 

[6] 


of  maiolica  was  also  produced  for  common  use  and 
interior  decoration,  such  as  albarellos,  or  drug  jars, 
inkstands,  salt  cellars,  plates,  jugs,  jars,  vases,  cups 
and  saucers,  bowls  and  charcoal  burners. 

The  earliest  inspiration  for  the  Mexican  maiolists 
was  the  blue  and  white  ware  of  Talavera  de  la  Reyna, 
Spain,  which  began  to  appear  in  Mexico  late  in  the 
sixteenth  century.  The  Spanish  influence  is  strongly 
marked  in  those  pieces  in  which  saints,  heads  of 
cherubs,  horses  and  chariots,  figures  of  squirrels, 
boars,  bulls  and  hares  appear  among  the  decorative 
details,  and  in  many  of  the  forms  of  vessels,  such 
as  the  urn-shaped  jardinieres,  the  albarelli,  or  apoth- 
ecary jars,  and  the  barrel-shaped  flower  jars,  which 
were  borrowed  from  the  Italians  by  the  Spaniards. 
In  the  seventeenth  century,  potters  went  to  Spain 
from  Italy  and  introduced  certain  styles  of  modeling 
and  painting  there.  It  is  probable  that  some  of  these 
artisans  went  from  Genoa  or  Savona,  as  we  can  trace 
a marked  resemblance  in  some  of  the  Talavera  and 
Toledo  wares  to  those  of  the  two  Italian  cities. 

In  the  painting  of  the  earlier  wares,  three  styles 
of  treatment  were  practiced  by  the  Pueblan  potters; 

1st.  The  Tattooed  (Intaglio). 

2d.  The  Silhouetted  (Relief). 

3d.  The  Outlined  (Surface). 

[7] 


In  the  Tattooed  style  of  decoration,  the  gTonnd 
work  and  filling  of  draperies,  outlined  spaces,  etc.,  are 
effected  by  the  u.se  of  large  Idiie  dots  or  of  fern-like 
fronds  composed  of  dots,  which  are  percei)tihly 
depressed  beneath  the  surface.  This  intaglio  effect 
(most  conspicuous  in  the  earlier  pieces)  was  appar- 
ently produced  l)y  applying  the  l^lue  pigment  to  the 
raw  glaze  with  a blunt  or  pointless  brush  or  other 
tool.  By  pressing  the  color  into  the  freshly  and 
thickly  applied  viscous  glazing  li(|uid,  depressions 
were  formed,  the  outlines  of  the  designs  having  pre- 
viously been  lightly  traced  on  the  surface  in  pale  blue. 
This  was  a primitive  and  coarse  process  of  stippling 
or  shading,  where  solid  color  was  not  desired.  After 
the  glaze  and  decoration  had  become  thoroughly  dry 
and  set,  the  ware  was  fired  and  the  sunken  dots 
became  permanently  fixed. 

In  the  Silhouette  method  of  treatment,  the  rich, 
dark  blue  color  was  more  thickly  applied  with  a 
]>ointed  and  full  brush,  forming  a solid  deposit  on 
the  surface  of  the  glaze  in  pronounced  relief.  There 
was  no  attempt  at  shading  or  retouching,  the  pigment 
being  of  .such  consi.stency  that  it  retained  its  contour 
through  the  heat  of  the  kiln.  This  style  of  embos.sed 
painting  appears  to  have  been  almo.st  entirely  con- 
fined to  work  executed  in  the  Spanish  manner. 

[8] 


The  imitation  of  Chinese  painting  was  usually 
in  flat  color.  The  Oriental  blue  and  white  porcelains, 
which  served  as  models,  were  painted  level  with  the 
surface  in  monochrome  or  camaieu  — in  different 
shades  of  blue  — and  when  the  Mexican  artist  at- 
tempted to  reproduce  these  effects  alone,  he  usually 
employed  a thinner  color  and  applied  it  lightly  and 
evenly.  In  consequence  of  this  more  delicate  mode 
of  treatment,  the  general  effect  is  lighter  in  shade 
than  that  of  the  heavy  silhouette  painting.  The  out- 
lines of  figures  were  traced  in  a pale,  thin  blue  and 
afterwards  filled  in  by  one  of  the  previously  described 
methods. 

Quoting  from  the  author’s  work  on  The  Maiolica 
of  Mexico:'^ 

‘‘A  careful  study  of  the  body  of  Puebla  maiolica 
reveals  the  fact  that  the  clays  employed  were  appar- 
ently of  two  kinds,  white  and  red.  These  two  varie- 
ties will  be  found  to  occur  in  the  earliest  pieces  as 
well  as  in  those  of  recent  date.  The  white  body  is 
much  softer  than  the  red,  the  difference  in  color  being 
caused  l)y  the  degree  of  heat  to  which  the  ware  was 
subjected  at  the  first  firing,  or  the  length  of  time  it 
was  allowed  to  remain  in  the  kiln.  When  l)aked 

'^'Art  Handbook,  Pennsylvania  Museum  and  School  of  Indus- 
trial Art,  Philadelphia,  1908. 


[9] 


slig'htly,  the  clay  appears  white  and  porous,  and  so 
soft  that  it  can  l)e  readily  cut  with  a knife,  but  when 
allowed  to  remain  longer  in  the  kiln,  at  a high  tem- 
perature, it  becomes  partially  vitritied  and  consider- 
ably harder,  and  of  a deep  pink  or  reddish  hue,  in- 
creasing in  density  with  the  darkening  of  the  color. 
Thus  the  tint  of  the  body  bears  no  relation  to  the 
antiquity  of  the  ware  nor  does  it  indicate  the  locality 
from  which  the  clay  was  obtained.  It  is  true  that 
two  varieties  of  clay  were  used  — white  clay  obtained 
at  San  Bartolo,  San  Pedro  and  Santo  Tomas,  hills 
near  the  village  of  Totomehuacan,  five  kilometers 
from  Puebla,  and  red  clay  from  Loreto  and  (niada- 
lupe,  in  the  vicinity  of  that  city,  but  these  are  always 
combined  in  equal  parts,  to  produce  the  results  de- 
sired. It  is  stated  that  no  other  combination  of  clays 
is  employed  and  that  neither  the  red  nor  the  white 
clay  can  be  used  alone,  with  satisfactory  results.” 

The  glaze  for  the  finer  quality  of  ware  was  com- 
posed of  24  parts  of  tin  for  every  100  parts  of  lead, 
while  for  the  ordinary  wares  the  proportion  of  tin 
was  only  about  eight  per  cent. 

While  the  methods  of  the  Talavera  potters  were 
reflected  in  the  earlier  maiolica  wares  of  Puebla,  the 
inlluence  of  the  Seville  school  is  seen,  to  a marked 
degree,  in  the  polychrome  products  of  the  later  period 

[10] 


in  Mexico,  particularly  in  the  painting  of  tile-work. 
Francesco  Nicnloso  Pisano,  an  Italian  maiolist,  went 
to  Seville  about  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  century  and 
established  a new  school  of  painting  there  which  was 
called  after  him.  It  is  not  known  where  he  learned 
his  art  in  Italy,  but  he  is  believed  to  have  studied 
at  Faenza  or  Caffaggiolo,  since  his  work  strongly 
resembles  in  technique  the  painting  which  originated 
in  those  centres.  Much  of  the  best  tile-work  found 
in  the  churches  of  Seville  and  other  places  in  Spain, 
belonging  to  the  early  part  of  the  sixteenth  century, 
is  attributed  to  him.  This  style  of  polychrome  paint- 
ing on  large,  flat  surfaces  became  at  once  popular, 
and  his  imitators,  steadily  increasing  in  numbers,  con- 
tinued to  follow  the  Pisano  style  through  the  six- 
teenth and  seventeenth  centuries  and  about  the  begin- 
ning of  the  eighteenth  century  introduced  it  into 
Mexico.  In  many  of  the  churches  and  other  religious 
foundations  of  that  period  in  Mexico,  the  tile-work 
inserted  in  the  fagades  and  interiors  shows  the  Pisano 
influence.  A marked  peculiarity  of  the  Pisano  school, 
both  in  Spain  and  in  Mexico,  is  the  lavish  use  of 
manganese  purple,  which  is  rarely  seen  in  Italian 
maiolica.  A painted  panel,  composed  of  small  tiles 
(see  No.  29),  in  the  collection  is  of  this  character. 

[II] 


The  Seville  influence  is  also  apparent  in  the 
maiolica  wares  of  Mexico,  particularly  in  some  of 
the  albarellos,  or  drug  jars,  which  are  coated  with 
a heavier  and  more  creamy  enamel  than  those  of  the 
Talavera  style,  in  which  the  enamel  is  thinner  and 
of  a more  bluish  tint.  This  difference  is  noticeable 
in  the  household  and  utilitarian  wares  produced 
through  the  eighteenth  century. 

The  Chinese  methods  also  began  to  impress 
themselves  upon  the  maiolica  of  Mexico  fully  as 
early  as  1650,  at  a time  when  much  Oriental  porce- 
lain was  being  imported  into  that  country,  and  some 
of  the  pieces  in  the  collection  (see  Nos.  10  to  15) 
are,  in  their  forms  and  decorative  treatment,  strongly 
suggestive  of  such  influence. 

'‘The  importation  of  this  ware  into  Mexico  in 
large  quantities  naturally  stimulated  the  artistic  zeal 
of  the  native  potters,  who  soon  commenced  to  imitate 
the  Eastern  forms  and  decorations  in  their  own  pro- 
ductions. The  spherical  jar-shaped  vase  with  bell- 
shaped cover  was  extensively  copied,  and  it  will  be 
found  that  the  greater  number  of  such  pieces  are 
ornamented  with  characteristic  motives  and  entire 
designs  derived  from  the  Chinese.  These  jars  are 
made  in  many  sizes,  some  of  which  are  exceedingly 
capacious.  In  the  lapse  of  time,  most  of  the  dome- 

[12] 


shaped  covers,  belonging  to  the  Mexican  maiolica, 
have  been  broken  or  lost,  so  that  it  is  only  occasion- 
ally that  an  ancient  jar  is  found  with  cover  intact. 
Among  the  Oriental  porcelain  vases  of  this  form 
found  in  Mexico,  many  were  provided  with  hinged 
iron  lids  having  a lock  and  key  for  the  safe  keeping 
of  ginger  and  other  confections.  Some  of  the  Puebla 
jars  were  mounted  with  metal  covers  in  the  same 
manner,  in  which  chocolate  and  vanilla  could  be 
safely  locked.  No.  14  is  a jar  of  this  character, 
which,  while  Chinese  in  shape,  is  decorated  in 
Spanish  style.  The  iron  collar  and  lid  are  purely 
Oriental.”^ 

In  summing  up  the  distinguishing  features  of 
Mexican  maiolica,  the  writer  ventures  to  quote  from 
an  article  prepared  by  himself  for  another  publica- 
tion r 

'‘The  maiolica  of  Mexico,  as  we  know  it  today, 
is  a composite  ware,  the  result  of  a combination  of 
four  distinct  sources  of  inspiration.  The  first  Span- 
ish potters  brought  with  them  traditions  of  an  older 
art  — the  Moresque  — which  revealed  itself  in  some 
of  their  earlier  work  in  New  Spain.  Among  the  first 
products  of  the  Mexican  maiolists  are  pieces  which 

^Thc  Mmolica  of  Mexico,  p.  6r. 

^Art  in  America,  Vol.  ITT,  No.  i. 

['31 


reveal  a marked  Moresque  or  Hispano-Moresque 
feeling,  of  which  a lavabo,  or  laver  (in  the  Mrs. 
Robert  W.  de  Forest  Collection  of  the  Metropolitan 
Museum  of  Art),  from  the  lavatory  of  an  ancient 
convent,  is  a striking  example.  The  decoration  con- 
sists of  strap-work  and  loop-work  in  heavy  raised 
blue  enamel,  outlined  with  black.  The  peculiarity  of 
this  bowl  is  the  inscription  which  extends  around  the 
rim:  ‘Soy  para  labar  los  (Sac)  ryfycadores  y no  mas’ 
(I  am  for  washing  the  sacrificers  and  for  no  other 
purpose).  In  many  of  the  early  churches,  convents 
and  monasteries,  lavatories,  usually  furnished  with 
three  large  basins,  were  provided  for  priestly  ablu- 
tions. A similar,  but  more  elaborately  decorated 
example,  from  the  old  convent  at  Atlixco,  is  in  the 
Pennsylvania  Museum  in  Philadelphia. 

“The  Aztec  influence  was  also  apparent  in  the 
artistic  ambitions  of  the  first  Indian  pupils  of  the 
Spanish  potters.  When  upon  these  three  diverse 
sources  of  inspiration  the  Oriental  was  grafted,  the 
result,  after  three  centuries  of  amalgamation,  was  a 
Moresque-Hispano-Aztec-Sinico  combination  of  forms 
and  decorations.  Two  or  more  of  these  distinct  styles 
were  often  combined  in  a single  piece,  and  at  one 
period,  in  the  seventeenth  century,  there  was  fre- 
quently an  overloading  of  ornament,  in  which  Chi- 

[14] 


nese,  Mexican  and  Spanish  motives  were  mingled  in 
meaningless  confusion.  But  we  also  find  many  fine 
examples  of  ware  in  which  the  purity  of  a single 
style  is  preserved  alone. 

“The  early  Mexican  maiolica  painter  confined 
his  efforts  to  work  of  a purely  decorative  character. 
His  painting,  particularly  that  in  blue,  was  bold  and 
vigorous  and  occasionally  possessed  elements  of  sur- 
prising strength  and  beauty  in  the  arrangement  of 
geometrical  and  conventional  effects.  He  never  as- 
pired to  the  more  ambitious  but  effeminate  istoriato 
Style  of  the  Urbino  artists.  His  conceptions  were 
childlike  in  their  simplicity  and  their  execution  was 
often  marked  by  a charmingly  naive  crudeness  of 
technique.  The  vastness  of  his  surroundings,  at  an 
altitude  of  over  seven  thousand  feet,  with  the  won- 
derful snow-capped  volcano  of  Popocatepetl  rising 
from  the  plain  another  ten  thousand  feet,  apparently 
at  his  very  threshold,  undoubtedly  exercised  a power- 
ful influence  in  developing  a breadth  and  freedom 
of  treatment  in  his  work,  and  inspired  him  to  create 
those  enormous  fountains,  gigantic  vessels,  and  tile 
patterns  covering  great  mural  surfaces  in  churches 
and  convents,  in  which  the  southern  part  of  Mexico 
al)ounds.  Some  of  these  structures  were  completely 
encrusted  with  glazed  tile-work,  modeled  and  painted 

[15] 


in  attractive  and  often  intricate  designs.  Figures  of 
saints  in  miniature  contributed  to  the  striking  embel- 
lishment of  ridge-tiles  and  parapets,  while  the  fagades 
were  frequently  covered  with  painted  tile  panels  of 
large  size.  This  vigorous  fictile  ornamentation  was 
well  suited  to  the  various  styles  of  architecture  which 
were  introduced  throughout  the  seventeenth  and 
eighteenth  centuries,  notably  the  Mudejar,  the  Span- 
ish Renaissance  and  the  Churrigueresque,  whose  florid 
exuberance  required  the  touch  of  color  and  the  intri- 
cacy of  painted  designs  to  relieve  the  monotony  of 
the  otherwise  plain  broken  surfaces.  The  interiors 
of  churches,  convents,  and  other  religious  founda- 
tions were  likewise  embellished  with  glazed  tile-work. 
Holy-water  fonts  of  elaborate  design  were  set  in  the 
walls  and  huge  lavabos  were  constructed  for  the 
ablutions  of  the  clergy.  In  the  surrounding  grounds, 
cisterns  were  walled  in  with  tile-covered  masonry, 
while  great  jars  and  jardinieres  of  painted  maiolica 
were  lavishly  provided  for  flowers  and  growing  plants. 
The  output  of  the  maiolica  factories  was  enormous. 
Articles  of  all  sorts  for  household  use  and  decoration 
were  turned  out  in  such  abundance  that  the  height 
of  manufacture,  in  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth 
centuries,  might  properly  be  known  as  the  Maiolica 
Age. 


“As  the  sacerdotal  orders  were  the  principal 
supporters  of  the  art  during  their  establishment  in 
New  Spain,  it  follows  that  when  the  extension  of 
the  Church  in  Mexico  was  checked  and  its  influence 
began  to  decline,  the  tile  industry  commenced  to  lan- 
guish. The  building  of  ecclesiastical  structures  prac- 
tically ceased  and  the  maiolica  industry  gradually  fell 
into  decay. 

“Lustering  was  apparently  never  attempted  by 
the  Mexican  maiolists,  probably  for  the  reason  that 
the  potters  who  went  to  Mexico  from  Spain  had 
learned  their  art  in  Talavera  and  in  Seville,  where 
metallic  luster  painting  was  never  developed  to  that 
high  degree  of  perfection  which  was  reached  by  the 
Hispano-Moresco  ceramists  of  Malaga  and  Valencia 
in  Spain,  and  the  artists  at  Gubbio,  and  to  a lesser 
extent,  perhaps,  at  Pesaro  and  Diruta  in  Italy.” 

A comparison  of  the  stanniferous  faience  of 
Mexico  with  the  Talavera  and  Seville  maiolica, 
which  occupies  a neighiDoring  case,  will  show  the 
close  relationship  which  existed  between  these  man- 
ufactures during  the  seventeenth  century,  when  blue 
predominated  in  the  ornamentation,  which  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  introduction  of  polychrome  decoration 
in  the  eighteenth  and  early  nineteenth  centuries. 

(See  booklet  on  Spanish  Maiolica.) 


Edwin  AtLee  Parher 


CATALOGUE  OF 
MEXICAN  MAIOLIGA 


ALBARELLO 

Height,  4^  inches. 

Conventional  decoration  in  heavy  raised 
blue  enamel. 

Spanish  style. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  1700-1750. 

ALBARELLO 

Height,  5^  inches. 

Painted  with  band  of  heavy  dark  blue  at 
top  and  bottom,  each  containing  scrolls  reserved 
in  the  white  ground. 

Showing  Spanish  influence. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  1700-1750.  Plate  I 

ALBARELLO 

Height,  9^  inches. 

Decorated  with  vertical  hands  of  vine-work 
in  heavy  dark  l^lue. 

Spanish  style. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  1700-1750. 

[19] 


Plate  II 


4.  ALBARELLO 


Height,  9 inches. 

Heavy  dark  blue  ornamentation  in  bold 
conventional  leaf  designs  arranged  in  diagonal 
panels. 

Showing  Spanish  influence. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  1700-1750.  Plate  II 


5.  INKSTAND 

Diameter,  3^  inches. 

Hexagonal  shape,  standing  on  four  small 
feet.  A quill  hole  at  each  of  the  six  angles. 
Having  dark  blue  edges  and  rude  floral  orna- 
ment in  each  side  panel. 

Spanish  style. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  about  1750.  Plate  I 


6.  JAR 


Height,  qA  inches. 


Spherical  form,  with  vertical  collar.  Em- 
bellished with  diagonal  panels,  each  enclosing  a 
bird,  and  separated  by  a bold  feather-shaped 
band.  Painted  in  raised  dark  blue  enamel. 
Spanish  style. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  about  1700.  Plate  III 


7.  VASE,  OR  URN  (Eor  Growing  Plants) 

Height,  14A  inches. 

Globular  form,  with  large  funnel-shaped 
top.  Crimped  edge,  and  two  small  serpentine 
[20] 


Plate  I 


§ § 

(N  lO 


AIOLICA  AlBARELLO,  I7OO-I75O 
AioLicA  Inkstand,  About  1750 
Decorated  in  Dark  Blue 


Plate  II 


4,  3.  Maiolica  Albakellos 
1700-1750 

Decorated  in  Dark  Bine 


Plate  III 


6.  Maiolica  Jar 
About  1700 

Decorated  in  Dark  Blue 


Plate  IV 


7.  Maiolica  Flower  Vase 
1700-1750 

Decorated  in  Dark  Blue 


A 


\ 

A 


ii 


handles.  Floral  and  leaf  design  in  raised  dark 
bine  enamel. 

Showing  Spanish  influence. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  about  1700-1750.  Plate  IV 

8.  LAVER 

Diameter,  18^  inches.  Height  4%  inches. 

Flat  base  (iipt  inches  diameter),  outward 
curving  sides.  Crimped  edge.  Conventional 
decoration  in  raised  dark  blue.  Boldly  painted 
with  rude  rock  and  tree  in  centre,  and  strap- 
work  around  sides. 

Spanish  style. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  1700-1750.  Plate  V 

9.  FOUNTAIN 

Diameter,  27  inches. 

Height  of  basin,  6^  inches. 

Height  of  central  pillar  and  bowl,  15P2  inches. 

In  form  of  a sciuare,  with  an  arc  of  a circle 
springing  from  each  side.  Blue  decoration  of 
floral  and  foliated  pattern,  interspersed  with 
figures  of  Ashes  and  birds.  Around  flat  top  of 
edge,  which  is  an  inch  in  thickness,  is  a graceful 
vine  pattern  in  blue.  Rising  from  the  centre  of 
the  basin  is  a hollow  pillar  supporting  a l)Owl, 
ioJ4  inches  in  diameter,  with  lobed  sides,  painted 
in  panels,  each  enclosing  a floral  ornament. 

Spanish  style. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  1680-1700.  Sec  Frontispiece. 

[29] 


10.  FLOWER  VASE  (Barrel  Shape) 

Height,  i6  inches. 

Foliated  and  floral  decoration  in  dark  blue, 
interspersed  with  human  figures,  animals  and 
birds  outlined  in  pale  blue. 

Showing  Spanish  influence  in  form  and 
Chinese  influence  in  decoration. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  1650-1700.  Plate  VI 

11.  VASE 

Height,  18^  inches. 

Inverted  pear  shape,  short  collar,  and  two 
rudely  modeled  serpentine  handles.  Elabo- 
rately decorated  with  central  design  on  each 
side  in  light  blue  — a woman  in  a chariot,  drawn 
by  two  horses,  driven  by  a driver  who  stands 
in  front.  The  other  spaces  are  filled  with 
figure  subjects  — a Spaniard  prodding  a bull;  a 
man  holding  two  dogs  in  leash  while  another 
man  is  presenting  a rabbit  before  them;  a 
woman  with  raised  umbrella,  in  pursuit  of  a 
stag;  a man  drawing  a cannon;  small  figures 
of  hares  and  birds.  Between  the  figures  the 
white  ground  is  covered  with  fern  leaf  and 
floral  diapering  in  “Tattooed”  technique. 

This  vase  is  one  of  a pair  found  in  Mexico 
at  different  times  and  in  separated  sections,  the 
other  example  being  owned  by  the  Pennsylva- 
nia Museum,  Philadelphia. 

[30] 


Plate  V 


8.  Maiolica  Laver 
1700-1750 

Decorated  in  Dark  Blue 


Plate  VI 


10.  Maiolk'a  Flower  Pot 
1 650- 1 700 

liccorated  in  Dark  Flue 


Plate  VII 


II.  Maiolica  Vase 
About  1660 

Decorated  in  Dark  and  Light  Bine 


In  front  is  a potter’s  mark,  “he,”  which 
may  be  the  mark  of  Damian  Hernandez,  one 
of  the  inspectors  of  the  Potters’  Guild  in  Puebla 
in  1653. 

Showing  Chinese  influence  in  the  figures 
of  Chinamen  and  Spanish  influence  in  bull 
fighter  and  hares. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  about  1660.  Plate  VII 

12.  BOWL 

Diameter,  12^  inches. 

Outer  decoration  consisting  of  eight  leaf- 
shaped medallions  reserved  in  white,  each  en- 
closing a conventionalized  floral  design  in  Iflue, 
the  medallions  separated  by  a ground  of  heavy 
dark  l)lue  enamel,  containing  white  ornaments. 

Showing  Chinese  influence. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  about  1700.  Plate  VIII 

13.  VASE  (Jar  Shape) 

Height,  iiC  inches. 

Painted  in  dark  blue,  with  four  panels  in 
pillar-shaped  frames  and  enclosing  rude  bird 
and  floral  designs. 

Showing  Chinese  influence. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  about  1700.  Plate  IX 

14.  jar 

Height,  13C  inches. 

Inverted  pear  shape,  having  an  iron  lid 
and  lock.  Decorated  with  four  large  heart-  and 

[37] 


ball-shaped  medallions  in  heavy  dark  blue  en- 
amel, with  reserved  white  spaces  containing 
blue  conventional  flowers. 

Chinese  style. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  about  1700.  Plate  X 


15.  PLATE 

Diameter,  16%  inches. 

Decoration  in  heavy  dark  blue  enamel. 
The  cavetto  is  covered  with  a large  boldly 
painted  star-shaped  design,  consisting  of  eight 
leaf-shaped,  radiating  segments  in  white,  each 
containing  a conventionalized  floral  ornament. 
In  the  centre  an  eight-petaled  flower,  superim- 
posed in  thick  blue  enamel.  Around  the  slope 
a graceful,  waving  vine-leaf  design.  The  radi- 
ating effect  is  carried  out  on  the  marly  by  eight 
broad,  pointed  spaces  reserved  in  white  contain- 
ing a floral  ornament  in  blue.  Scalloped  edge. 

Showing  Chinese  influence. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  1700-1750.  Plate  XI 

16.  ALBARELLO 

Height,  loyf  inches. 

In  front  a large  oval  medallion  bordered 
with  a bold  floral  wreath  in  grayish  blue  with 
yellow  flowers. 

Showing  Spanish  influence  in  form. 
Puebla,  Mexico,  1800-1830.  Plate  XII 

[3S] 


Plate  VIII 


Decorated  in  Dark  Blue 


Plate  IX 


13.  Maiolica  Jar 
About  1700 

Decorated  in  Dark  Blue 


Plate  X 


14.  Maiolica  Jar  with  Iron  Lid 
About  1700 

Decorated  in  Dark  Blue 


Plate  XT 


15.  Maiolica  Plate 
1700-1750 

Decorated  in  Dark  Blue 


17.  SALT  CELLAR 


Height,  2^  inches. 

Cylindrical  form,  spreading  out  into  a 
skirt  at  the  base.  Standing  on  three  scroll  feet. 
Painted  with  band  of  conventional  pattern  in 
red,  green,  and  black. 

Mexican  style. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  about  1830.  Plate  XII 


18.  TILE 

Dimensions,  5I4  x 5^  inches. 

Slightly  convex  surface,  beveled  edges,  for 
use  either  on  a plain  or  curved  surface.  Painted 
with  figure  of  a pilgrim  in  dark  blue.  A large 
flowering  plant  at  each  side,  over  which  are 
three-pointed  ornaments.  At  lower  edge  is  the 
letter  F,  the  mark  of  the  decorator. 

Spanish  style. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  1650-1680.  Plate  XIII 

19.  TILE 

Similar  to  preceding  in  size  and  style. 

Central  design  of  a man  holding  in  his  left 
hand  a rabbit  by  its  hind  legs,  in  his  right  hand 
a hat.  At  the  upper  right  corner  the  figure  of 
a bee,  which  occurs  on  many  of  these  tiles  and 
is  supposed  to  be  the  mark  of  the  decorator. 
Spanish  style. 

Puelda,  Mexico,  1650-1680. 

[47] 


Plate  XIII 


20.  TILE 

Similar  in  size  and  style  to  preceding. 

Central  design  of  a man  clothed  in  a short 
skirt  with  flowing  sleeves,  carrying  in  his  right 
hand  a baton  or  stick. 

Spanish  style. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  1650-1680.  Plate  XIII 

21.  TILE 

Dimensions,  5x5  inches. 

Decorated  in  dark  blue  in  “Tattooed”  style 
with  figure  of  young  girl.  Fern  ornaments  at 
sides. 

Showing  Spanish  influence. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  about  1700.  Plate  XIV 

22.  TILE 

Similar  in  size  and  style  to  preceding. 

Figure  of  man  in  short  skirt  and  cloak, 
surrounded  by  leafage. 

Showing  Spanish  influence. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  about  1700.  Plate  XIV 

23.  TILE 

Similar  in  size  and  style  to  preceding. 

Parrot,  surrounded  by  leafage. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  about  1700.  Plate  XIV 


[48] 


Plate  XTf 


Mexican  Maiolica 

16.  Albarcllo,  1800-1830 

17.  Salt  Cellar,  about  1830 
Decorated  in  Colors 


Plate  XIIT 


i8,  1 9,  20.  Maiolica  Tiles 
1650-1680 

Decorated  in  IPue 


Plate  XIV 


23,  21,  22.  Maiolica  Tiles 

Al)out  1700 

Decorated  in  Dark  Blue 


Plate  XV 


I 


28.  Maiolica  Tile 
Decadent  Period,  about  1800 
Decorated  in  Polychrome 


Plate  XVI 


29.  Maiolica  Tile  Panel 
About  1780 

Decorated  in  Dark  Pliie  and  Purple 


24.  TILE 

Dimensions,  4^  x 4^  inches. 

Decorated  in  very  thick  dark  blue  enamel, 
which  stands  out  in  relief,  with  rude  figure  of 
stork,  with  scrolled  ornaments  at  the  corners. 
Spanish  style. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  about  1700. 

25.  TILE 

Dimensions,  5x5  inches. 

Beveled  and  curved.  Decoration  of  hare 
and  rude  ornaments  reserved  in  the  white 
ground,  surrounded  by  heavy  deep  blue  enamel 
which  has  been  painted  unevenly  with  a l)rush. 
Spanish  style. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  1650-1680. 

26.  TILE 

Dimensions,  4^  x 4}^  inches. 

Rudely  decorated  with  reserved  white 
floral  design  with  four  petals,  surrounded  by 
dark  blue  ground.  Blue  dashed  edges. 

Spanish  style. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  about  1700. 

27.  TILE 

Dimensions,  5 x 5 inches. 

Decorated  with  pale  Idue  outline  of  head 
of  a man  with  frilled  collar,  accentuated  with 

[59] 


dots  and  dashes  of  raised  dark  blue,  surrounded 
b}^  heavy  blue  vine  leaves. 

Showing  Aztec  influence. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  about  1700. 

28.  TILE 

Dimensions,  7^  x 7M  inches. 

Head  of  man  painted  in  black  on  the  white 
ground,  with  cape  of  feather-work  in  yellow 
and  reddish  brown.  Green  edges  at  sides. 
Spanish  style. 

Puebla,  Mexico,  about  1800.  Plate  XV 


29.  PANEL 

Height,  13  inches.  Width,  10  inches. 

Formed  by  six  tiles.  Figure  of  a saint, 
seated,  with  legs  crossed,  painted  in  purple,  sur- 
rounded by  a dark  blue  ground  containing  a 
dragon  fly,  bird  and  scrolled  ornaments  reserved 
in  white. 

Pisano  style,  showing  Seville  influence. 
Puebla,  Mexico,  about  1780.  Plate  XVI 


[60] 


Printed 

At  the  Sign  of  the  Ivy  Leaf  in  Sansom  Street 
Philadelphia 


